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". . .
if it were possible to live long enough, you'd see the island move oil the way across ta the
mainland. . . ." Boldhead Islond, Boldhead Creek, and "Old Baldy" Lighthouse, looking across the
Cape Fear to Oak Island. — I Photo by Hugh Morton.)
SELF DESTRUCTION
Reece Swan slowed the boat to near
idling speed as we entered Baldhead
Creek and moved toward the interior
of Baldhead Island. The tide had
ebbed, and our boat — flat-bottomed
though she was — must feel her way
through the shallow's. Several times she
touched bottom, and a following boat
grounded and stalled several times
when she strayed from our wake.
The water is getting shallower every
year, according to Reece, Sands are
being drifted in from the beach, col¬
lecting in the marshes and creeks. “lVe
watched the change in {he island for
46 years,” he said. “If it were possible
to live long enough, you’d eventually
see the island move all the way across
to the mainland.”
In the meantime, the marshland
breeding grounds for fish and shellfish
are being slowly covered over. In
answer to the widely-publicized claim
that 9,000 acres of saltwater marsh will
be ruined if the island is developed,
Reece points out large areas of the
marsh where accretion has brought the
surface to a level well above the reach
of normal tidal rise. Not enough water
to spawn fish, he noted, blit some of
it is ideal for breeding mosquitoes.
Reece figures maybe 50 per cent of
the 9,000 acres of marshland is no
longer suitable for spawning.
Farther along he pointed to a low
prominence of mud. “We used to call
that ‘Oyster Rock,’ a great place for
fishing,” he said, “but look at it now'.”
As we moved toward the higher
ground of the island, there w'ere oc¬
casional evidences that natural growth
was being choked, large live oak trees
turning brown from the sandy en¬
croachment.
“There’s a lot of talk about develop¬
ment destroying the island,” said Reece
Swan, “but all the time, the island is
destroying itself.”
VANDALS
When the creek began to narrow,
Recce steered toward the bank and
pushed the nose of the boat up to a
clearing where his jeep was parked.
We went ashore to board the jeep for a
trip across the island.
Reece had brought along a fresh
the state, October i,
1Э7а
battery to start the car, but before he
could install it, he had to remove a
padlock and chain w'hich was bound
over the hood — protection against
vandals. Earlier that w'eek his precau¬
tions had proved insufficient to stop
them from breaking into the interior
and literally tearing out the dashboard.
Control fittings and ignition wires were
still hanging loosely; but by hitching
parts together and improvising, he
coaxed the vehicle into motion.
Our ride over the island disclosed
further evidence of depredations by
visitors, sightseers, “sportsmen.” You
don’t go far w'ithout encountering beer
and pop cans, bottles and other litter.
Trees have been cut. Such buildings as
remain on the island — principally
Coast Guard and lighthouse structures
— bear the ugly scars of human abuse,
The most conspicuous victim is “Old
Baldy,” the island’s historic and most
familiar landmark. Built 153 years ago,
it is the oldest lighthouse on our coast.
Its brick-and-mortar walls have sur¬
vived the ravages of time and hurricane
in a most impressive manner; but the
interior of the tow'er, w'here visitors
have stripped away wood fixtures and
floors to burn on their campfires, has
not been so fortunate.
To protect Baldhead Island against
the double threats of human abuse and
natural damage, Reece Swan is con¬
vinced it must be developed. He further
believes that private development un¬
dertaken by responsible developers
with ample funds, know-how', and de¬
sire to preserve the island’s natural
beauty offer the best possibility.
EXPERTS
It would be difficult to find a per¬
son who, in a manner of speaking, has
more “right” to have his say about
Baldhead. Recce Swan has certainly
spent more lime on the island than any
living person. He was one of 10 chil¬
dren born to the legendary Captain
Charlie Swan, who for 30 years was
Keeper of the Cape Fear Light (now
gone from the northern section of the
island). His childhood was largely
spent on Baldhead. Additionally, he
lived there for most of the past 8 years
while he was caretaker for Frank O.
Sherrill, of Charlotte, the island’s own¬
er until it was bought by Carolina Cape
Fear Corporation.
Recce got tired of reading “expert
opinion about the island written by-
persons who never have been over
there,” and which leaned heavily on
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